Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-03-13
ADAY IN THE COUNTRY.
Visit to n Sugar CamP-SOme Facts In Con
nection Herewith.

Visit TO n Sugar Camp-SOme Facts In Con-
nectiOn Herewith.
II was a bright morning in the latter
mart of February that we chose for q ride.
A morning not severely cold but which
with n fresh bracing air and the free sun
shine seemed, to a healthy man, to drive
away dull care, to arouse all his animal
spirits and to invite to action. Having
been advised that at this season Of the year
the bottom of q pike is nearer the surface
thar is the bottom of any other country
road, we decided to go out the pike, that
leading from whence to whittier and from
there to somewhere.
Started, the first thing that attracted our
attention was q toll gate, and we stopped:
not because the toll gate or the house or
ever the keeper was especially attractive,
but we have noticed that it is "ah quite
the proper thing to do" The toll keeper
greeted us kindly, enquired how far we
had come, how far we were going, remarked
on the lovely day, and so on. We were
gratified for such disinterested attention
and left all our loose change to the amount
of fourteen cents in token thereof
Before night we knew the toll keeper
better, he or she is an autOcrat, q tyranni-
cal, all-devouring m%onOpolist. On that
Jim Mason would take this matter In hand,
and with his scathing, blasting denuncla-
ton blot this monster from the face OF the
pike. Here, doubtless, that now we'll
known term had its origin, in the two
words mono and pole, meaning one pole,
was first applied by early travellers to the
toll gate.
Proceeding on our way, we noticed on
our left a column of smoke curling lazily
skyward from a wood, and we coDJectured
that we had discovered a sugar camp. Now
we always did have n sweet tooth 1.-THE
same that always aches, and what is
sweeter to the taste than maple syrup! We
hitched and camped, after making certain
that the dog wa not at home. Thu genial
farmer, OVERLOOKING with concentrated ma
pie Juice, received us rather coOlly, but we
ingratiated ourselves into his favor by con-
vincing him that we were neither tramps
nor ceOn hunters, perfect pests to
a g camp he called them.
He said we were Just in luck rs they were
''boiling off" The boiling off takes place
ut the close of the run" when the sugar
water gathered in has been boiled down to
the proper consistency. We sampled the
syrup, drank sugar water and asked ques-
tons.
In reply to our enquiries he said he had
about a hundred trees tapped. had opened
his camp two or three weeks since and had
made already about twenty-five gallons Of
molaSses. But he remarks the season Is
not a very good one. Ny friend
asked what made a good sea
son. Well, he replied, it takes
two things, sweet water and lots of it. To
give us the first the winter and spring
should be severe with frequent hard freezes,
and for the latter, to make the sap abund-
ant there should be considerable wet
weather, or what is better, frequent SHOWS
with the freezes and thaws. Az soon as
the warm, dry weather sets in sugar and
mOlasseS making is done. This season the
water is weak and requires o great deal Of
boiling. How much? well, on an aver
age, a barrel of water will make a gallon
OF syrup, forty barrels of water one barrel
syrup.
Does it pay? Yes. We sell it at from
81 90 TO Sl.25 per gallon; the price used
to be from 81. 90 to 81 {. You see it is a
season when we can do nothing else and
anything is better than idling. Two or
three men with n horse and sled can man
age a camp. The water is hauled in, and
you see instead of sugar kettles we use a
caSt-iron pan that holds over q barrel for
boiling. The pan is very shallow and so
presents n good deal of surface, which
hastens the boiling down process. The
boiling of, which includes the clarity
Ing" we do in kettles, and it ia important
that this be done just right, for it deter
mines the quality of the mOlasSes, the
color and the taste. We tasted again,
thanked the old gentleman for favors re-
ceived and broke camp.
After q short ramble through thickets,
sheltered spots and sunny hooks, we con-
cluded that the flowers that bloom in the
spring had not yet awakened from their
winter sleep, for we failed Ia find any.
The day which broke so fine had become
cloudy and threatening and We turned
cityward. Autumn may bring the uClan-
choly days, hut it offers some compensa-
ton in its rich and ever varying beauties.
The last days of winter, before nature
again wakes to life, are dreary and DESC
late beyond compare. Snow began falling
before we reached the city. and we we're
not sorry when onr ride was at MI end.